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Galbatorix
Galbatorix was the king of Alagaësia. He was chosen by a dragon and became a rider in his early years. His dragon was killed by Urgals some years later. Galbatorix asked the Dragon Rider council to grant him another dragon, but they refused, sensing his mental instability. With his request denied Galbatorix took it upon himself to steal another dragon. He forced this dragon, Shruikan, to serve him by dark magic. He formed the Forsworn, a group of thirteen dragon riders loyal only to him and killed all the other dragons and riders in existence, or so he thought. He proceeded to create an Empire through which he ruled most of Alagaësia. He is the main antagonist of the series. History Born in the ancient province of Inzilbêth, and one of several siblings (all of whom are now dead), Galbatorix was accepted into the ranks of the Dragon Riders at the age of ten, after being traditionally tested for great potential. He quickly excelled in all areas of combat and spellcasting, which fueled him with pride and vanity. Although some of his fellow Riders were wary of his swift rise to power, the majority of the order neglected caution, ultimately leading to their downfall. Descent into Madness Soon after his training had been finished, Galbatorix, along with two companions and their dragons, entered the Spine, believing in their arrogance their powers would protect them. During this reckless trip, they ventured far north into Urgal territory, and they were eventually ambushed in the dead of night as they made camp. All were slain, except for Galbatorix who, despite suffering great wounds himself, managed to defeat his attackers. But in the confusion, a stray arrow pierced the heart of his dragon, Jarnunvösk, and without the knowledge to save her, she perished. Driven mad by the loss of his dragon, he wandered aimlessly in the wild for weeks, utterly delirious. He began to long for death, and so he blindly attacked any creature or Urgal he happened upon; however, he was too skilled to defeat, and was denied the release he craved. Eventually, he became so terrifying in appearance that the Urgals avoided him altogether. After a while, he began to hope that the Riders might grant him another dragon. Encouraged by this, he decided to journey back to the order. Starvation plagued him during this journey, and when he finally reached the outer edge of the Spine, he was found unconscious and close to death by a farmer, who promptly summoned the Riders. Once he had recovered sufficiently, he stood before the Elder Riders and demanded that they grant him a new dragon, but Oromis saw the madness in him and persuaded the other Elders to deny his request. This effectively drove Galbatorix further into insanity and hatred. His mind became twisted by the previous events until he came, in his grief and rage, to believe that it was the Riders' fault that his dragon had died. Having firmly convinced himself of this, he plotted his eventual revenge. The Fall of the Riders In secret, he began training himself in the dark arts under the tutelage of a Shade (possibly Durza). With this new found power, he persuaded a sympathetic Rider to lure and assassinate an Elder. When the deed was done, he then turned on his ally and killed him and his dragon in cold blood, taking his Eldunarí before letting out a demented scream of insanity. The other Riders quickly discovered him in the act, but he fled into the wild, biding his time. He hid in the wastelands in agony, always alert for his pursuers, who eventually gave up on their search. Years later, after finally subduing the Eldunarí and bending it to his will, he found another young rider, a strong, but weak-willed man named Morzan and persuaded him to join his cause. Morzan then aided him by leaving a gate unlocked in Ilirea, which later became known as Urû'baen. This alloed Galbatorix to enter and steal the dragon hatchling Shruikan after killing his rider. Through the use of certain types of black magic, Shruikan was bonded to Galbatorix and forced into servitude. Besides Morzan, twelve other corrupt Riders came to serve Galbatorix out of greed, arrogance, or desire for vengeance for perceived wrongs. These thirteen Riders were known as the Forsworn, or Wyrdfell to the elves. With the Forsworn behind him, and augmented by the Eldunarí, Galbatorix returned to the world to challenge the Riders. His desire was not only for vengeance, but to acquire as many Eldunarí as he could. He slaughtered every Rider he came across and took their Dragons' heart of hearts, before taking the whole Eldunarí collection the Riders carelessly guarded - or so he thought. At the behest of Vrael, Oromis and their dragons Umaroth and Glaedr, 135 Eldunarî and 243 dragon eggs, 26 of which had been set aside for the Dragon Riders, were hidden in the Vault of Souls along with the Eldunarí of Umaroth himself, deep underground beneath the roots of Mount Erolas, deep enough to escape magical detection, and the memory was magically removed from the minds of all who knew, including the mothers of every egg, using magic similar to that the Dragons had used in the Banishing of the Names. Galbatorix would never learn of the existence of this cache, and believed his victory to be absolute. During this time, he ruthlessly hunted down and killed his teachers. Eventually, he came to battle Vrael, the leader of the Riders, at the gates of Doru Araeba. Vrael would've emerged victorious during this duel, but just as he was about to deal the final blow, he hesitated, allowing Galbatorix a chance to viciously wound him. Forced into retreat, Vrael hoped to recover at a hidden fortress on top of the mountain, Edoc'Sil. He did not get a chance, as Galbatorix hunted him there, and in the duel that followed, Galbatorix decapitated Vrael after kicking him in the fork between his legs. With the leader of the Riders dead, and most of the others massacred, Galbatorix became one of the most powerful beings in Alagaësia. Galbatorix also stole Islingr, Vrael's sword, from the dead Rider's corpse, claiming it for his own and renaming it "Vrangr". However he failed to obtain the Eldunarí of Umaroth, Vrael's Dragon, as it had been hidden from him. The Empire , Galbatorix's (stolen) dragon as depicted in the movie ]] Galbatorix and his followers defeated both the elves and the dwarves, both of whom afterward went into hiding. Galbatorix then captured Ilirea with the Forsworn, where he deposed and murdered King Angrenost, the rightful ruler of the Broddring Kingdom. With this act, he proclaimed himself the new king of Alagaësia. From then on, his domain became known as simply, the Empire. It should be noted that despite this, the Broddring Kingdom still officially existed, though by the time of the Rider War it was little more than a name upon royal decrees and became obsolete. Most of those under Galbatorix's rule never even knew it existed. His rule though, was ruthless and cruel, and although much of the Empire stayed loyal, there was a small rebel group called the Varden. The Varden and the Death of the Forsworn After naming himself king of Alagaësia, he took an active role among the Empire. Even so, he spent most of his time in his black castle in Urû'baen, formerly Ilirea. He spent forty years there, enslaving his horde of Eldunarí and never venturing beyond the walls of the capital. During this time, his Empire fell into chaos. After finally subjugating the spirits of the dragons confined in the Eldunarí he had captured, Galbatorix then embarked on a vicious and brutal military campaign to restore order in the Empire. His ruthlessness and cruelty earned him the enmity of many places, such as Palancar Valley and its village of Carvahall, although most of the Empire remained loyal to him, if only through fear. In particular, the country of Surda sought to remain independent of his rule, but did not feel it was wise to take up arms against him. Brom, a surviving Dragon Rider whose dragon had been killed in the Battle of Doru Araeba, sought revenge against Morzan and Galbatorix. He gathered together many people that had been exiled, imprisoned, or abused by the Empire, thus forming a rebel organization known as the Varden. With an elaborate network of spies and agents located through Alagaësia, it quickly became one of the most well-known organizations that opposed the Empire. During this time, the Varden assassinated many members of the Forsworn, Brom being a major contributor in many of the killings, leaving only one alive: Morzan. After the fall of the Dragon Riders, Galbatorix had in his possession the last three known dragon eggs in Alagaësia. Try as he might, he could not get any of the eggs to hatch for his servants. A thief, hired by the Varden, named Hefring later attempted to steal the eggs, but during his escape, he was only able to obtain one out of the three eggs. Morzan pursued this thief to Gil'ead, but Brom, still seeking revenge against Morzan, tracked him there and slew him, ending the Forsworn. He proceeded to transport the egg to the Varden, before going into hiding for about twenty years. The Rider War Prior to the War After this incident, Galbatorix extended his friendship to Murtagh, son of Morzan, who had been living in Galbatorix's castle since the death of his parents. Murtagh, though knowing it would be unwise not to accept the offer, was seduced by Galbatorix's vision of turning the Empire into a Utopian society to benefit all Alagaësia, guarded and protected by a new order of Riders. Soon after, however, Galbatorix fell into a rage upon learning that rebels had intercepted and destroyed three brigades of Imperial troops, and commanded Murtagh to take a company of soldiers and decimate the village of Cantos, which was known to harbor the rebels. Murtagh refused the order when Galbatorix commanded him to slaughter the town's entire populace, and fled Urû'baen with his faithful teacher, Tornac. However, Galbatorix had anticipated this, and put soldiers to guard the gates to and from Urû'baen. While Murtagh was able to fight his way free, Tornac was killed in the struggle. Hoping to recapture Murtagh, Galbatorix sent the Ra'zac to pursue him. Using his powers of dark magic, Galbatorix then took control of all the Urgal clans and placed his Shade, Durza, in command. He planned on using the ones who killed Jarnunvösk to eliminate his enemies before he choose to exterminate them at his leisure. One night, Durza and the Urgals ambushed the elven dragon egg courier, Arya while she was transporting the egg back to the Varden. Although Durza and the Urgals managed to capture Arya, their mission ultimately failed when Arya teleported the egg to the Spine, where it would be discovered by a young farm-boy named Eragon. Galbatorix, now desperate to obtain the egg, told the Ra'zac to cease their pursuit of Murtagh and hunt down the egg instead. Their search led them to the village of Carvahall, deep in the Palancar Valley. Eragon, however, eluded capture, and Galbatorix would later learn that the egg had indeed hatched for Eragon, becoming Saphira. Around the time that Eragon first became a dragon rider, Galbatorix, fearing an uprising in the north by local farmers, began the Northern Massacres, where he ordered mass raids by the Urgals on towns he suspected of supporting the Varden. His intentions were to scare them out of supporting the Varden and supporting him instead. Whole towns were decimated and their civilians slaughtered. At Yazuac, the entire population was murdered by the Urgals and piled together high at the center of the city. Some cities, such as Daret, were more fortunate, being able to fend off the Urgal attacks. Others, such as Carvahall, escaped the notice of the Urgals, being hidden by the mountains of the Spine. In order to cover-up these attacks from the general populace, Galbatorix had his agents spread rumors that the Urgals had allied themselves with the Varden, and that they were the actual instigators behind the attacks. The Ra'zac would later encounter Eragon and Brom in Dras-Leona. They succeeded in murdering Brom later that night some distance south of the city, but were driven away by Murtagh, who had apparently been tracking them and Eragon. Murtagh, Eragon, and Saphira then made their way to Gil'ead, but were intercepted in their camp the night before they entered the city. Eragon was briefly imprisoned by Durza, but Murtagh and Saphira successfully rescued him, along with Arya. Sometime in the same week, Galbatorix also planned to leave Urû'baen for the first in over a decade to deal with the ruler of Dras-Leona, Marcus Tábor, who apparently had been disobeying orders or become increasingly independent. The Urgals pursued Eragon and his companions south towards the Beor Mountains, where the Varden was secretly located. By then, Galbatorix was aware of the location of the Varden. The Battle under Farthen Dûr Eventually, Galbatorix hatched a plan to completely destroy the rebellion, the Kull, and the dwarves altogether. He decided to bring the Urgals and Kull in an all-out attack on the Varden and the dwarves' capital of Tronjheim, a city that lay below the mountain of Farthen Dûr. The Kull, lead by Durza, would stage a surprise attack on Tronjheim via underground tunnels that connected his hidden fortress in Ithrö Zhâda, a captured ancient dwarven city formerly known as Orthíad, and Tronjheim. After they crushed the Varden, they would proceed to kill the dwarf king and all his clan chiefs, eventually wreaking enough havoc upon the Beor Mountains to bring the dwarves to their heels. The Kull would then be weak enough from the attacks that they would easily be wiped out by Galbatorix's armies. At the same time, he planned to capture Eragon and Saphira, so as to reestablish a new order of Dragon Riders under his control and recapture Murtagh. In the Battle under Farthen Dûr, however, his plans ultimately failed when the Varden and the dwarves successfully fended off the Urgals by re-routing them and Eragon killed Durza. The Urgal clans turned on themselves, as Galbatorix forced them to unite against their rules. Nevertheless, the battle wasn't entirely fruitless for Galbatorix. The Twins, two sorcerers that had served as Imperial spies the entire time they had been in the Varden, betrayed Murtagh and Ajihad by commanding a group of Kull to ambush them. In the aftermath, Ajihad was killed while Murtagh was captured and brought before Galbatorix. Although Galbatorix was furious with Murtagh for defying his will, one of the dragon eggs hatched for Murtagh, and was subsequently named Thorn. Galbatorix then figured out Murtagh's and Thorn's true names, forcing them to swear allegiance to him in the ancient language. With this act, Galbatorix made Murtagh his greatest general and taught him the secrets of magic and dark arts that the elves would abhor. Galbatorix supplied Murtagh with multiple Eldunarí, enhancing Murtagh's power so that it was greater than Eragon's and that of the elves. Murtagh was also more powerful than any of the Forsworn had ever been, however Galbatorix kept the bulk of his Eldunarí for himself. The Twins also provided Galbatorix with a very important detail: the name of Eragon's mother, Selena. They had figured out the connection between Eragon and Murtagh while scanning the former's mind. Therefore, both parties presumed that Morzan was Eragon's father, which would be demoralizing to the Varden if they knew that their enemy's own son is fighting for them. However, the Twins' information was later discovered to be incorrect, as Eragon's true father was Brom. Galbatorix desired to bring Eragon and Saphira into his service. Saphira was named after Broms deceased dragon and is the last female dragon in existence and when she breeds with one of his dragons, the entire species would be reborn once more. He gave Murtagh and Thorn specific instructions not to kill them. The Battle of the Burning Plains In the months that followed, Galbatorix decided that he was no longer willing to tolerate the existence of Surda, a country on the southern coast of Alagaësia independent of the Empire, which had long supported his enemies. After the Battle under Farthen Dûr and Durza's death, the spell binding the Urgals to Galbatorix's will was broken. With this, the Urgals chose to ally with the Varden, despising the treachery Galbatorix had lead them through. Consequently, the king now had no choice but to rely on his standard troops. He ordered Murtagh and Thorn to lead troops from Gil'ead down to Surda to conquer the nation once and for all. Meanwhile, the Varden had also relocated from Tronjheim to Surda. Despite Murtagh's attempts, the Surdans and the Varden discovered the approaching Imperial army, and they subsequently marched north to engage them in combat at the Burning Plains. Eragon and Saphira, having learned of the upcoming battle, rushed to aid the Varden, leaving their training in Du Weldenvarden behind. With orders to capture both Eragon and Saphira, Murtagh and Thorn fought against them in the following battle, and although they may have been victorious, Murtagh's compassion for his younger half-brother allowed him to escape. Continuation Galbatorix was again furious with Murtagh, this time for allowing Eragon and Saphira to escape. Upon learning that Eragon and Saphira killed the Ra'zac, a disaster that could easily have been avoided had Murtagh and Thorn followed their orders, Galbatorix slew five nearby servants in a rage and then turned his wrath on Murtagh and Thorn. Then, he deployed Murtagh and a group of his painless soldiers to Surda, with stricter orders to bring Eragon and Saphira to him. However, Galbatorix's plan failed again when Eragon and Saphira drove Murtagh and Thorn away with the help of Arya and twelve other elves, including Blödhgarm. These arguments, alongside others further complicated the bond between Galbatorix and Murtagh. When Galbatorix heard the elves were attacking the north of his Empire, he responded quickly, rather than waiting for them to come to him. Murtagh was sent to Gil'ead to confront the elves. While Oromis and Glaedr fought Murtagh and Thorn above Gil'ead, Galbatorix entered Murtagh's mind and asked Oromis to join him. Oromis refused, and the battle continued. Galbatorix swore to kill Oromis and take Glaedr's Eldunarí. Unpredictably, Oromis had one of his spasms and Naegling, his sword was knocked from his hand. Galbatorix, through his possession of Murtagh, took advantage of the opening and rent Oromis from shoulder to hip with Zar'roc. Although Glaedr attempted to fly Oromis back to Gil'ead so Islanzadí's spellcasters could save him, he was ultimately unsuccessful, and Oromis perished. Glaedr dove back into battle with Thorn, but the red dragon was too quick for him to defeat. His physical body died as Thorn bit the back of his head and neck, killing him instantly. However, before departing for battle, Glaedr entrusted Eragon and Saphira with his Eldunarí, and consequently kept himself free from Galbatorix's bondage. Death Galbatorix was defeated by an ingenious Empathy Spell cast by Eragon, aided by the Eldunarí. This spell forced him to feel all the emotions he had invoked in others since he was born, which were mostly painful. As this was not a direct attack, and Murtagh had already stripped him of his major wards, Eragon made him vulnerable at long last. The king was unable to defeat Eragon in swordplay, and realising this, he attempted to kill himself and Eragon. He ultimately failed, and died defeated. Role in the Eragon Movie Though Galbatorix has not yet physically appeared in the books, he did appear in the movie, portrayed by John Malkovich. Throughout the movie, he is seen giving orders to Durza. In his throne room in the movie, he has a dragon-like throne and a map nearby which, at the end of the movie, he cuts down, revealing Shruikan behind it. He's depicted as calm and very intelligent in the movie and only reveals his frustration at the end of the film after Durza's failure. Most of his backstory was left out, and he aims to kill Eragon as well as Saphira, as opposed to trying to use Saphira to recreate the dragons, as is the case in the book. He did, however, refer to Saphira's egg as a "stone", that he "suffers without his stone', and that Durza was not to "prolong his suffering". Powers and abilities Galbatorix was arguably the most powerful magician in Alagaësia. Having had several hundred of the dragons' Eldunarí under his control, Galbatorix's magical and mental powers were close to unlimited. Although he was not yet strong enough to invade Du Weldenvarden and conquer the elves, Galbatorix did not feel it was necessary to eliminate the Varden, Surdans, and dwarves until the Rider War fully erupted. It is possible that Galbatorix's power had not yet reached its full potential during the events of Eragon, Eldest, and Brisingr. Many characters have stated that Galbatorix's powers have been increasing each year. It is hinted that when he discovers the "true name" (hinted by both Galbatorix and Ra'zac in Brisingr) he will become more powerful still. In addition, Galbatorix is shown to be a skilled military tactician and political maneuver and is adept at manipulating people and events. His insanity has evidently not had an effect on his intelligence. Galbatorix is also highly charismatic. Murtagh stated that he was "the most convincing and frightening man I've ever met." In "Rider and Ra'zac," the last remaining Ra'zac tells Eragon that Galbatorix has almost discovered "the name," which in Inheritance it is discovered he has discovered the true name of the ancient language which allows him to do anything even break an oath sworn in that language Physical appearance In the film, Galbatorix is portrayed as tall, thin and bald with a beard and long, curving nails akin to those of a Chinese Emperor. He dresses in black armor and has a long black cape, characteristic of villains in fiction. His physical appearance in the books may differ wildly, as the film took a lot of creative liberties. All that is known of his appearance from the books is that he has black eyes, as Murtagh stated in Eragon. Christopher Paolini illustrated a pen-and-ink portrait of Galbatorix, which appeared in the Deluxe Edition of Brisingr and also in Eragon's Guide to Alagaësia. In it, he is depicted as a man with long facial features, shoulder-length dark hair, and a worn and aged cloak, holding a Rider's sword in front of him. This drawing may not be canon, as Paolini stated that it was "drawn overnight, in a rush".http://www.shurtugal.com, "Comic-Con interview with Christopher Paolini", Jan. 27, 2011 Personality and traits In the early days of his life, Galbatorix was a proud and foolhardy man, a trait that was augmented by his superiority to his peers during the many training sessions. His arrogance was looked upon with caution by a few of the Dragon Riders at the time but ultimately dismissed, consequently leading to their downfall. His recklessness was demonstrated most when he ventured into Urgal territory under the belief that he was strong enough to defend himself. When his dragon was killed in the ensuing conflict, his mind took its path into madness and insanity. Fractured by the loss of his dragon, as was a common occurrence upon losing someone of a close bond, Galbatorix eventually persuaded himself that the Elder Riders' were to blame for his dragon's death. As shown through many of his actions, Galbatorix had a talent for being very manipulative, possessing a genius level of intellect. Indeed, upon returning from his trip to the Spine, he was initially able to convince his fellow Riders that he was calm and capable of dealing with his dragon's death. It was not until he was brought upon the Council that he was unable to restrain his demented mind from the Riders. At times, he was fully capable of hiding his madness under the guise of a kind, forgiving man fully dedicated to Alagaësia's well-being. At times, he may appear to be a calm, charismatic man, as shown when he attempted to earn Murtagh's trust. Only when his words are denied and his power rejected does he reveal his true nature and his madness, cursing his enemies and scorning them to death. He is, in reality, easily angered and has a fiery, unmerciful temper. Upon learning of the Ra'zac's death, he slaughtered five of his nearby servants in frustration. When a few Imperial brigades were destroyed nearby, he ordered Murtagh to lay waste to the town of Cantos, a suspected rebel stronghold, and have its entire population put to the stake. His cruelty is likely to have been influenced by the dementia formed when his dragon died, and he appears to hold little regard to other being's lives. During some of Nasuada's chapter's in the latest book we learn that Galbatorix seems to have quite a controlling personality as seen when he explains his plans to Nasuada such as wanting to have complete control in the land over magic with nobody being able to use it unless he himself says so. It is also evident in the way that Murtagh has talked about him and especially in the quote "I can't so much as tie up my boots without Galbatorix saying so". Behind the scenes Motives There has been a great deal of discussion among fans about whether or not Galbatorix truly is evil, or if he does have good intentions behind his actions. Some fans believe that his attempt to reestablish the Dragon Riders is proof of this theory. Others say he merely wants to rebuild the Riders to obtain more power to himself, and when he creates his new order, he and his Riders would rule in tyranny like he and the Forsworn have. However, it is also likely that Galbatorix believes that his evil actions are necessary to create a world of order and prosperity. The author, Christopher Paolini, has stated that he enjoys doing what he does, adding on to his sadistic nature and perhaps implying his evil mind. Comparisons Galbatorix is comparable in characterization to many a "dark lord" and the primary antagonist of the work - and Emperor Palpatine of the Star Wars saga; he resembles Senator Palpatine (Darth Sidious) in his rise to power and unexpected overthrowing of the established order, replacing it with an Empire. Moreover, like Palpatine, Galbatorix has been shown to have a lust for power and in some ways, an insane persona. This, along with his calm and charismatic nature that breaks away with an unmerciful temper, has earned him stark similarities with Palpatine. Another character from Star Wars he resembles is Anakin Skywalker. As a Jedi Padawan, he showed great skill, prowess, talent, and potential in his youth, was accepted into the ranks at a young age, gained incredible raw power as he matured, and eventually betrayed the order and slew many of his former comrades. In both cases, two of the principal causes were the death of someone close to him and being denied a request by the head Council of their corresponding orders. He can also be compared to Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter books. He was a dark lord with unparalleled skill in magic, especially in dark magic, and wanted to take over the world with the help of his servants,(The Forsworn/Death Eaters) whom he trained in his black arts. Galbatorix also experiments with vessels that held souls, the Eldunarí, just as Voldemort experimented with Horcruxes, which he could use to house his own soul. Both Galbatorix and Lord Voldemort have a powerful charisma and are able to easily manipulate people's minds. Finally, Murtagh's description of his rage when Galbatorix ordered him to destroy Cantos is reminiscent of similar outbursts made by Adolf Hitler, dictator of Germany between 1933 and 1945. Notes * Eragon's ability to traverse the Spine without incident is an ironic contrast to Galbatorix. In fact the Spine has brought much good fortune to Eragon, while Galbitorix has suffered much because of it. ** Galbitorix lost his first Dragon in the Spine, and suffered on the journey back, while Eragon found Saphira's egg there, and regularly traveled there to hunt. ** Galbitorix lost half of his army there (later revealed to be the result of the Urgal's), while Eragon's entire home village was able to travel through it to escape the Ra'zac, with only minimal losses. References de:Galbatorix es:Galbatorix nl:Galbatorix pl:Galbatorix ru:Гальбаторикс Category:Characters Category:Humans Category:Magic users Category:Dragon Riders Category:Imperials Category:Dark magic users Category:Royalty Category:Males Category:Deceased Characters